Liquid feeding mechanism



Jan. 9, 1934. R. K. SWAIN ET AL LIQUID FEEDING MECHANI SM Filed June 19, 1931 WW mwflmm WMMWM l. H Hm w Patented Jan. 9, 1934 UNITED STATES LIQUID FEEDING MECHANISM Raymond K. Swain, Kansas City, Mo., and Richarcl 0. Davis, Merriam, Kans;

Application June 19, 1931. Serial No. 545,423

1 Claim.

Our invention relates to improvements in liquid feeding mechanisms. It is well adapted for use in supplying batteries with water as the water lowers therein.

One of the objects of our invention is to provide a mechanism of the kind described with novel means for automatically controlling the flow of liquid into a container, said means being actuated by the lowering and rising of the liquid in the container.

A further object of our invention is to provide a novel self contained unit for so controlling said liquid flow, which is adapted for application to or removal from the liquid container, and which is simple, cheap, durable, not likely to get out of order, and which can be applied to or removed from the container without disassembling of an parts of the device or of the container.

The novel features of our invention are hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates our invention,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a part of a storage battery provided with our improved liquid feeding mechanisms.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical central sectional view of one of our improved liquid feeding mechanisms, and portions of a battery associated therewith.

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, enlarged, of one of our improved liquid feeding mechanisms, shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 5 is a View, enlarged, partly in vertical central section and partly in side elevation, of a modification.

Fig. 6 is a top view of one of the feeding mechanisms.

Fig. '7 is a section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 4.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts in the different views.

1 designates a battery box or case containing the usual cells or liquid containers 2, each provided with a cover having an inlet 3 for liquid, which inlet is threaded and adapted to have a closure fitted therein.

4, Fig. 2, designates a portion of one of the lead plates, such as are contained in battery cells 2.

For normally closing the inlet 3, our invention provides a removable closure 5 comprising a screw plug adapted to be fitted removably in the inlet 3, and having longitudinally extending therethrough a passage 6 for liquid, and having a valve seat 7 against which is adapted to bear a vertically reciprocative valve 8, the latterbeing, as shown in Fig. 3, triangular in cross section, so that it can be guided by the walls of the passage 6 with spaces around the valve for the passage thereby of liquid. The valve normally moves 6o downwardly by gravity and pressure of liquid above it to the closed position against the seat '7.

The valve 8 is provided with a downwardly extending stem 9 to the lower end of which is fastened a cap 10, which is adapted to have its lower side engaged by one set of ends of two levers l1 pivoted on a horizontal pin 12 mounted in the closure 5 and extending. across the enlarged lower portion of the passage 6 below the seat 7.

Eespectively pivoted at one set of ends to the other ends of the levers 11 are two links 13 the other ends of which are attached pivotally to an eye 14 of a vertical pin 15 mounted centrally in the upper end of a float 16, which is supported by said pin 15, when the mechanism is removed from the cell or container 2. The diameter of the float 16 is less than the diameter of the inlet 3, so that the float can be inserted into or withdrawn through the inlet 3.

The upper end of the body of the closure 5 has the threaded lower end of a vertical tubular stem 17 removably fitted in the threaded upper end of the passage 6. On this stem 1'7 is adapted to be fitted the lower end of a rubber tube 18, the upper end of which is fitted on one of a plurality of tubular stems 19 with which a supply pipe 20 is provided. The several stems 19 are connected to rubber tubes 18 which are respectively fitted on the stems 1'7 of the closures 5 on the battery cells 2.

Connected to the supply pipe 20 is another pipe 21 which is connected to the bottom of a tank 22 adapted to hold a supply of the liquid which is to be fed, such as distilled water.

The tank 22 is disposed higher than the battery so that the liquid can run by gravity from the tank through the pipes 20 and 21, stems 19, rubber tubes 18 and through the passages 6, when the valves 8 are open, into the containers or cells 2.

When the liquid in a cell 2 lowers from the predetermined level at which the valve 8 is closed, the float 16 will lower and swing the levers 11, through the links 13, so as to cause the levers to engage and lift the cap 10 and with it the valve 8, thus opening the valve and permitting the liquid to run past the valve 8 down- 110 wardly through the passage 6 into the cell or container 2.

When the liquid in the cell 2 rises to the predetermined level it will have lifted the float 16, so that the latter will swing the levers 11 out of engagement with the cap 10, thus permitting the valve 8 to lower against the seat 7 so as to close the passage and shut off the water supply to the cell.

By unscrewing the closure 5, it together with the float 16, and parts carried thereby may be removed as a unit, to permit access to the interior of the cell 2 through the inlet 3. To reinsert the closure in the inlet 3, the float is inserted through the inlet and the closure screwed into its operative position.

By providing two levers 11, as shown, for supporting the float 16, the float is retained in a central upright position. It may be any suitable buoyant body, as cork or of hollow metal construction, that will not be afiected by acid when the cell contains an acid solution.

As shown in Fig. 7 the pin 12 may have mount ed on it at opposite sides of the levers 11 two spacing sleeves 12 for keeping the levers centrally located. By having the levers 11 pivoted on the same axis, the pin 12, and the links 13 pivoted on the same axis, the pin 14, in the center of the float 16, a simple device with a minimum of parts is obtained and which is cheap to construct.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5, the body 5' of the closure has through it an off-set liquid passage 6, corresponding to the liquid passage 6, having a seat 7 against which is adapted to bear a vertically movable downwardly closing valve 8, corresponding to the valve 8, having a depending stem 9 carrying a pin 23 slidably mounted in a slot 24 in one end of a lever 11' pivoted on a pin 12 mounted in the passage 6 below the valve 8, and carried by the closure body 5. The other end of the lever 11' has connected to it the upper end of a link 13 the lower portion of which is fastened to and carries a float 16, similar to the float 16', and which is of a diameter such that it can be passed through the inlet 3 of the cell 2, the body 5 of the closure being adapted to be fitted removably in the inlet 3, as in case of the closure 5. The upper end of the body 5' has mounted on it a tubular stem 17 having threaded removable engagement with the threaded upper end of the passage 6' and having a recess in its lower end communicating with the passage 6.

When the water lowers in the cell, the float 16' lowers, and, through the link 13' swings the lever 11 so as to lift the valve 8 to the open position through the pin 23 and stem 9' of the valve, thus permitting water to flow downwardly past the valve through the passage 6' into the cell. When the liquid in the cell rises sufficiently, the float 16' in rising will swing the lever 11" so as to permit the valve to close.

The tube 17' is adapted to have slipped on it one of the rubber feeding tubes 18.

The mechanism shown in Fig. 5 is adapted to be removed from a cell or inserted into operative position thereon without disassembling and as a unit.

Other modifications, within the scope of the appended claim, may be made without departing from the spirit of our invention.

What we claim is:-

In a liquid feeding mechanism, a closure having a passage, a valve movable downwardly to a position closing said passage, a float, two levers pivoted to said closure on an axis intersecting the vertical central line of said closure and adapted when swung in one direction to engage and lift said valve to the open position, and two links pivoted to said float on an axis intersecting the vertical central line of said float and adapted to support said heat and respectively pivoted to and adapted to swing said levers in said direction when said float lowers.

RAYMOND K. SWAIN. RICHARD O. DAVIS. 

